Fuel for Heating an Appliance for Grilling

ABSTRACT

A fuel for heating an appliance for grilling, which fuel comprises a first component containing charcoal, and one or more further charcoal ignition components containing one or more combustible substances, wherein the further charcoal ignition component(s) continue to burn after their ignition, even when the source of ignition is removed, and wherein the charcoal ignition component(s), by this continued combustion, ignite the first component made of charcoal.

The present invention relates to a fuel for heating an appliance for grilling, which fuel has the features mentioned in the preamble of claim 1.

It is known from prior art to place two or three cube-shaped ignition aids, for example, on a small layer of charcoal and then ignite these grill ignition aids.

These known grill ignition aids are then allowed to burn for about one to two minutes. Subsequently, more fuel is added in the form of charcoal, followed by about 40 minutes of waiting until a layer of ash has formed, after which the food to be grilled is placed on the grate.

These grill ignition aids known from prior art are disadvantageous in many respects:

For one thing, adding charcoal after igniting these grill ignition aids often tends to blanket the flames.

In that case, again more grill ignition aids have to be laid out, ignited and, after a waiting period, covered with a layer of charcoal, extending the overall time required for heating the grill.

This drastic extension of the overall time required for heating the grill often exhausts the patience of the grill operator, who may feel hungry.

Particularly inexperienced and inconsiderate grill operators will then sometimes pour easily flammable liquids onto the bed of charcoal, which has been pre-treated with a smothered solid grill lighter.

However, during the first ignition attempt, first stages of unextinguished embers may have formed in the charcoal immediately surrounding the grill ignition aids originally used. These first stages of unextinguished embers may then cause the notorious spontaneous and flash-like ignition of the easily flammable liquid poured on the grill, and sometimes even cause the flame to flash back into the bottle of easily flammable liquid.

Either effect generally has an extremely adverse impact on the grill operator's physical integrity.

Prior-art grill ignition aids also require a long heating period because the primary pockets of charcoal embers, which have formed locally and closely around the two or three cube-shaped grill ignition aids, have to be spread in a separate laborious and time-consuming step to form a larger burning area.

During this process of spreading the pockets of embers, the fire may also sometimes be extinguished, requiring a time-intensive process of re-igniting the grill. Thus, this effect of extinguishing the embers by spreading the initial pockets of embers may also exhaust the grill operator's patience, because the grill has to be re-ignited in another time-intensive process, and it may lead to the previously described pouring of an easily flammable liquid from a bottle, which is extremely adverse to the grill operator's physical integrity.

Even if the two or three original pockets of embers have later been properly spread, the grill operator cannot initially use the entire grill surface for grilling, because in most cases the fire does not spread homogenously and evenly over the entire surface of the grate. In particular, edge and corner portions are initially free from fire and cannot be used for grilling.

The cube-shaped grill ignition aids known from prior art are also disadvantageous with respect to their cumbersome handling, which is a consequence of the many previously described steps they require for igniting a grill and the long time it takes before a relatively even firebed is achieved.

In addition to the above solid grill ignition aids, liquid and gel-like grill ignition aids are also known from prior art, and are disadvantageous for the following reasons in particular:

For one thing, even if they are properly applied on a fire-free layer of charcoal, they may flare up like a flash during a subsequent ignition attempt with a lighter or match—with a possible adverse effect on the grill operator's physical integrity.

Obviously, this disadvantage of a flash-like flare-up is particularly significant if the liquid or gel-like grill ignition aid is used for a second attempt to ignite the charcoal following a failed first attempt to ignite the charcoal, which has left rests of embers.

Moreover, the known liquid or gel-like grill ignition aids are disadvantageous because, when poured or spread onto a layer of charcoal, they generally come into contact only with the charcoal pieces on top, while the intermediate pieces further down in the layer of charcoal do not come into contact with these known liquid or gel-like grill ignition aids.

If—in order to reach lower layers of charcoal—large amounts of liquid grill ignition aids are used, they often collect in small puddles at the bottom of the grill, if the grill is liquid-tight.

When the liquid grill ignition aid is then ignited, e.g. with a match, formation of a flash or at least strong evaporation of the puddle of grill ignition aid collected at the grill bottom are often observed. Either effect may have an extremely adverse impact on the grill operator's physical integrity and/or the taste of the food later placed on the grate.

In most cases, however, the bottom of a grill is not liquid-tight, which means that any large amount of liquid grill ignition aid used does not collect at the bottom of the grill, but leaks to the ground through the untight parts of the grill bottom, forming at least stains on the ground.

Thus, the time required until a thicker layer of charcoal suitable for grilling has been evenly permeated by fire is especially long if the known liquid or gel-like ignition aids are used, which overtaxes the grill operator's patience to a considerable extent.

Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide a fuel for heating an appliance for grilling, which fuel does not involve the problem of smothering the ignition flames even at the start of the ignition phase, whose ignition period is very short, whose handling is extremely convenient because the fuel does not require applying an additional layer of charcoal or spreading a small number of pockets of embers; whose operating safety is particularly good, which forms an even firebed after the initial ignition without requiring any further process steps, which does not involve the risk of a flash-like flare-up, which permits even thick layers of charcoal to be evenly permeated by fire in a particularly short period of time, and which does not involve the risk of stain formation on the ground.

According to the invention, this object is achieved with a fuel according to the preamble of claim 1, by the features mentioned in the characterising portion of claim 1. Particularly preferred embodiments are the subject matter of the subordinate claims.

The inventive fuel for heating an appliance for grilling generally comprises a first component containing charcoal.

Preferably, the inventive fuel for heating an appliance for grilling further comprises one or more further charcoal ignition components.

In general, the charcoal ignition component(s) comprise one or more combustible substances.

The further charcoal ignition component(s) generally continue to burn after their ignition, even when the source of ignition is removed. Preferably, by this continued combustion, the further charcoal ignition component ignites the first, charcoal, component in a particularly safe manner.

In the case of the inventive fuel, the first component may be made of charcoal; e.g., in the form of grill charcoal, grill charcoal briquettes, loose pieces or pellets.

In the inventive fuel, the further charcoal ignition component(s) containing one or more combustible substances may in principle be solid or liquid. However, in particularly preferred embodiments of the inventive fuel, the charcoal ignition component(s) are solid.

In general, the charcoal ignition components are combustible with atmospheric oxygen while emitting heat, with the heat emitted heating the charcoal component at least to its ignition temperature, igniting it thereby or in that process.

In the case of the inventive fuel, the further charcoal ignition component(s) containing one or more combustible substances may have a flash point above 55° C., preferably above 60° C., particularly above 65° C. However, even higher flash points of the charcoal ignition component(s) can easily be achieved.

Generally, the further charcoal ignition component(s) may contain one or more substances selected, for example, from the group comprising wood, sawdust, wood shavings, wood pellets, spherical pieces of wood, paraffins, high-viscosity paraffin, low-viscosity paraffin, solid or liquid mixtures of purified saturated aliphatic hydrocarbons, branched isoparaffins, unbranched n-paraffins, alkanes, paraffin hydrocarbons, isoalkanes, n-alkanes, cycloalkanes, alkanols, ethanol, alkane sulfonates, alkyl sulfonates, hexamethylenetetramine, water, glycerine, rapeseed oil, rape oil, colza oil, mineral oil, fully synthetic oils, silicone oils, vegetable oils, animal oils, triglycerides of intermediate or unsaturated fatty acids, glues, adhesives comprising water soluble, animal, vegetable or synthetic polymers and water as a solvent, carboxylic acids, inorganic oxyacids, acid anhydrides, cellulose, polysaccharides, petroleum, kerosene, crude oil, petroleum distillates, naphthenic acids, phenols, resins, naphthenes, aromatic compounds, or mixtures thereof.

In particularly preferred embodiments of the inventive fuel, the charcoal ignition component containing one or more combustible substances may be brought into contact with the charcoal component e.g. by flocking and/or spraying and/or immersing and/or pressing and/or gluing and/or impregnating and/or sprinkling.

In the case of the inventive fuel, particularly a solid charcoal ignition component containing one or more combustible substances may enclose the charcoal component in the form of, for example, a partial or complete coating, sheathing, shell or a ball.

In particularly preferred embodiments of the inventive fuel, the wall thickness of the charcoal ignition component made in the form of a partial or complete coating, sheathing, shell or sphere may be within a range of 0.5 mm to 5.0 cm, preferably within a range of 1.0 mm to 4.0 cm, particularly within a range of 2.0 mm to 3.0 cm.

The substances listed in the above paragraph may also be the “combustible substances” within the meaning of the present application, if they have the feature of combustibility.

In the inventive fuel, the percentage by weight of the charcoal ignition component in the total weight of the fuel may, for example, be within a range of 0.2 wt-% to 90 wt-%, preferably within a range of 0.5 wt-% to 80 wt-%, particularly within a range of 1.0 wt-% to 70 wt-%.

In the case of the inventive fuel, the layer thickness or the amount of the charcoal ignition component are preferably selected such that after a burning period of the charcoal ignition component of 10 minutes at the longest, preferably 9 minutes at the longest, particularly 8 minutes at the longest, the charcoal ignition component has burned off completely.

In summary, it may be stated that the present invention provides a fuel for heating an appliance for grilling, which fuel does not involve the problem of blanketing the ignition flames even at the beginning of the ignition phase.

Due to the connection of the charcoal ignition component with the charcoal component, the ignition period of the inventive fuel is very short.

Moreover, the inventive fuel is extremely convenient and simple to handle, because the inventive fuel no longer requires applying an additional layer of charcoal or spreading a small number of pockets of embers.

Since the inventive fuel does not overtax the grill operator's patience, the grill operator is significantly less likely to make disastrous use of a liquid fire accelerant, which is difficult to control.

Furthermore, the inventive fuel is particularly advantageous in that it forms an even firebed in a particularly short period of time without requiring any further process steps.

Moreover, it may be seen as a particular advantage of the inventive fuel that it does not involve the risk of a flash-like flare-up even after its primary ignition with a lighter or match.

The inventive fuel is also particularly advantageous because it not only enables safe ignition of the top pieces of a layer of charcoal, but also provides safe ignition of lower pieces further down in a thicker layer of charcoal.

This dramatically shortens the ignition time required until a thicker layer of charcoal, suitable for grilling, has been evenly permeated by fire, and it is substantially less taxing on the grill operator's patience.

In the case of the inventive fuel, it is also advantageous that it does not involve the notorious problem of puddles forming at the bottom of the grill. This circumstance is advantageous for the grill operator's physical integrity and/or the taste of the food later placed on the grate.

Another advantage of the inventive fuel is in the fact that, even if the grill bottom is untight, the risk of stains forming on the ground, which is a notorious effect of liquid grill ignition aids, is safely excluded. 

1. A fuel for heating an appliance for grilling, which fuel comprises a first component containing charcoal, and one or more further charcoal ignition components containing one or more combustible substances, wherein the further charcoal ignition component(s) continue to burn after their ignition, even when the source of ignition is removed, and wherein the charcoal ignition component(s), by this continued combustion, ignite the first component made of charcoal, characterised in that the further charcoal ignition component(s) containing one or more combustible substances are solid at room temperature, enclose the charcoal component in the form of a partial or complete coating, sheathing, shell or a ball, and are combustible with atmospheric oxygen while emitting heat, the heat emitted heating the charcoal component at least to its ignition temperature and thereby igniting it.
 2. The fuel of claim 1, characterised in that the first component is made of charcoal in the form of grill charcoal, grill charcoal briquettes, loose pieces or pellets.
 3. The fuel of claim 1, characterised in that the further charcoal ignition component(s) containing one or more combustible substances have a flash point above 55° C., preferably above 60° C., particularly above 65° C.
 4. The fuel of claim 1, characterised in that the further charcoal ignition component(s) contain one or more substances selected from the group comprising wood; sawdust; wood shavings; wood pellets; spherical pieces of wood; paraffins solid at room temperature; branched isoparaffins solid at room temperature; unbranched n-paraffins solid at room temperature; paraffin hydrocarbons solid at room temperature; alkane sulfonates solid at room temperature; alkyl sulfonates solid at room temperature; triglycerides, solid at room temperature, of intermediate or unsaturated fatty acids; glues solid at room temperature; adhesives, solid at room temperature, comprising water soluble, animal, vegetable or synthetic polymers and water as a solvent; cellulose; polysaccharides; phenols solid at room temperature; resins solid at room temperature; or mixtures thereof.
 5. The fuel of claim 1, characterised in that the charcoal ignition component containing one or more combustible substances may be brought into contact with the charcoal component by flocking and/or spraying and/or immersing and/or pressing and/or gluing.
 6. The fuel of claim 1, characterised in that the wall thickness of the charcoal ignition component made in the form of a partial or complete coating, sheathing, shell or sphere is within a range of 0.5 mm to 5.0 cm.
 7. The fuel of claim 1, characterised in that the percentage by weight of the charcoal ignition component in the total weight of the fuel is within a range of 0.2 wt-% to 90 wt-%.
 8. The fuel of claim 1, characterised in that the layer thickness or the amount of the charcoal ignition component are selected such that after a burning period of the charcoal ignition component of 10 minutes at the longest, the charcoal ignition component has burned off completely.
 9. The fuel claim 2, characterised in that the further charcoal ignition component(s) containing one or more combustible substances have a flash point above 55° C., preferably above 60° C., particularly above 65° C.
 10. The fuel of claim 2, characterised in that the further charcoal ignition component(s) contain one or more substances selected from the group comprising wood; sawdust; wood shavings; wood pellets; spherical pieces of wood; paraffins solid at room temperature; branched isoparaffins solid at room temperature; unbranched n-paraffins solid at room temperature; paraffin hydrocarbons solid at room temperature; alkane sulfonates solid at room temperature; alkyl sulfonates solid at room temperature; triglycerides, solid at room temperature, of intermediate or unsaturated fatty acids; glues solid at room temperature; adhesives, solid at room temperature, comprising water soluble, animal, vegetable or synthetic polymers and water as a solvent; cellulose; polysaccharides; phenols solid at room temperature; resins solid at room temperature; or mixtures thereof.
 11. The fuel of claim 3, characterised in that the further charcoal ignition component(s) contain one or more substances selected from the group comprising wood; sawdust; wood shavings; wood pellets; spherical pieces of wood; paraffins solid at room temperature; branched isoparaffins solid at room temperature; unbranched n-paraffins solid at room temperature; paraffin hydrocarbons solid at room temperature; alkane sulfonates solid at room temperature; alkyl sulfonates solid at room temperature; triglycerides, solid at room temperature, of intermediate or unsaturated fatty acids; glues solid at room temperature; adhesives, solid at room temperature, comprising water soluble, animal, vegetable or synthetic polymers and water as a solvent; cellulose; polysaccharides; phenols solid at room temperature; resins solid at room temperature; or mixtures thereof.
 12. The fuel claim 2, characterised in that the charcoal ignition component containing one or more combustible substances may be brought into contact with the charcoal component by flocking and/or spraying and/or immersing and/or pressing and/or gluing.
 13. The fuel claim 3, characterised in that the charcoal ignition component containing one or more combustible substances may be brought into contact with the charcoal component by flocking and/or spraying and/or immersing and/or pressing and/or gluing.
 14. The fuel claim 4, characterised in that the charcoal ignition component containing one or more combustible substances may be brought into contact with the charcoal component by flocking and/or spraying and/or immersing and/or pressing and/or gluing.
 15. The fuel of claim 2, characterised in that the wall thickness of the charcoal ignition component made in the form of a partial or complete coating, sheathing, shell or sphere is within a range of 0.5 mm to 5.0 cm.
 16. The fuel of claim 3, characterised in that the wall thickness of the charcoal ignition component made in the form of a partial or complete coating, sheathing, shell or sphere is within a range of 0.5 mm to 5.0 cm.
 17. The fuel of claim 4, characterised in that the wall thickness of the charcoal ignition component made in the form of a partial or complete coating, sheathing, shell or sphere is within a range of 0.5 mm to 5.0 cm.
 18. The fuel of claim 5, characterised in that the wall thickness of the charcoal ignition component made in the form of a partial or complete coating, sheathing, shell or sphere is within a range of 0.5 mm to 5.0 cm.
 19. The fuel of claim 2, characterised in that the percentage by weight of the charcoal ignition component in the total weight of the fuel is within a range of 0.2 wt-% to 90 wt-%.
 20. The fuel of claim 3, characterised in that the percentage by weight of the charcoal ignition component in the total weight of the fuel is within a range of 0.2 wt-% to 90 wt-%. 